Page 16 of The Secret Life of the Elusive Governess
“Miss Robins…did you just quote Ovid’sMetamorphoses,by any chance?” the Duke’s voice was deeply intrigued, and if she wanted to believe her heart, impressed.
Caroline flushed and twisted her head to answer the question but found her action to be a massive mistake. The Duke’s eyes were so close to hers that she felt submerged in the emerald orbs, the verdant hue overtaking her consciousness and evoking visions of nature at its rawest.
“I find it fascinating, Your Grace.” She was breathy and had slipped to a whisper at the end.
“Providence, I suppose,” Caroline had begun to torture herself by believing that the Duke’s tone had gone as breathy as hers. “As it is my favorite also. I believe it to be his Opus Dei.The Heav'n-born warrior faithfully went on and told the num'rous dangers which he run.What subject seas, what lands he had in view, and nigh what stars th' advent'rous heroe flew.”
While speaking, his eyes had not left hers, either, and this close Caroline feared that her natural instinct would steer into the wrong direction—which was to gravitate too close to him. Any closer and any peering eye would classify it as a scandal. Consequently, she annihilated her instinct and stepped back, despite how his magnetism, intoxicating sandalwood cologne, and his appealing form called to her.
She started to slowly extract her hand from under his as well, but the Duke’s hand tightened over hers, and with her pulse clamoring under her skin, Caroline looked back at him. This time, her eyes met the curve of his jaw as he was looking straight ahead. “Let it stay, Miss Robins. It is about time you overcame this fear.”
With no verbal objections and no mental protests, Caroline stood still and allowed the Duke to slide both of their hands to the horse’s neck and then to his nose.
“Look into his eyes, Miss Robins, see the true nature, and cease your fears.”
With her hands resting on his nose, Caroline’s mind was in a flurry. She was not sure if she was bonding with the horse or with the Duke. The heat she could feel coming from the body less than a handbreadth away was addling her mind and throwing her emotions into havoc.
However, she forced herself to do what the Duke had bid her to and tried to squash her fear of the animal.
“His eyes are…are not so terrifying as I had believed.” She eventually spoke after she had forced her voice to be steady enough to utter coherent words.
“My words are proven then,” the Duke replied before, mercifully, stepping away.
When her breath came back, Caroline blurted the first thing that came to her mind, “A Phaeton.”
“Excuse me?” Moses inquired with a frown. “What phaeton?”
“My apologies, Your Grace, I was referring to Lord Hayward,” Caroline clarified, with her eyes averted as she was ashamed that such nonsense had come out of her mouth, “He has a fascination with them, Your Grace. Just as Lady Josephine loves the Papilio machaon gorganus.”
“The Papilio…machaon…gorganus?” he said slowly.
“It’s a rare, migrant Swallowtail butterfly, Your Grace,” Caroline added, hoping and failing to keep her mirth out of her voice. Sadly, she did not succeed.
“Are you laughing at me, Miss Robins?” the Duke asked while making sure to keep his tone light.
“If I may dare—”
“You may,” he replied. “Again, you are free to speak, Miss Robins. Remember, there is no castigation here.”
“—then I am unrepentantly doing so,” she smiled.
He laughed lowly. “So, my little girl loves butterflies, and my son loves phaetons, lovely.”
“I would advise you to let him learn how to ride a horse first before attempting to drive such a swift carriage,” Caroline added with a tiny laugh, “But I digress, it is about time for me to reconvene my lessons, so please excuse me, Your Grace.”
“Very well, Miss Robins.”
Walking away, Caroline could feel his eyes on her back but kept her gait steady.
* * *
Moses wondered why watching Miss Robins leave gave him the feeling to go after her. It was concerning and after she had passed under the eaves of the southern entrance, he turned back to Pegasus.
“She is an interesting one, is she not?” He rubbed the velvety nose of the thoroughbred and received a snort for his efforts.
“So, you agree.” Moses smiled faintly, “I knew you were a smart animal. It is interesting, in the last few moments I have felt…calm, amused even. I cannot recall feeling such emotion in the past few days… or months really. I am strangely… pleased.”
Grasping the reins, Moses led the steed back to the stable and just before he entered a stableboy called over from the stacks of hay, “D’you want me to take him, Your Grace?”
